Combination-lock



w. T. AND E. BENHAIVI.

COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s; 1917.

1 45,575 P tented July 6, 19200 ill \ I r m Y I To all whom it may concern: a a :w lBe 1t lniown that we, WLLIAM T.

i United States, residingatNorwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of @himhave:

lltl principle or mode of operation as to enlarge p t ssue ASSIGNMENTS,

eonro aa'rronor onto;

imam

and Essen Elem-1AM, citizens of the invented new anduseful Improvements in is a specification,

Combination-Locks, of which the following @ur invention relates to the class of locks commonly known as combination or Fpermutation locks, having tumbler-system adapted to be set or reset to givencombinations of dialmumbers, requiring correspondingmanipulationsof the dial to bring the tumblers into proper relation to allow the bolt to bewithdrawn; and its objectis the range of usefulnessof such locks.

.As such locks are at present. constituted, in order to work.the combination andrelease the bolt, a somewhat complicated process ofcomplete revolutions, or turns, f the dial is necessary before passing to the specific radial point or number required at each step of the manipulation ;the numteof turns differing at each successive step. Thus, to work a four-tumbler combination requires fourteen complete revolut ons of the d1al,d1v1ded unequally between i the successive steps and relative forward provided witha fix a and baclr motions. Not only is this tax upon the memory I but involves closest attention and takes much tune. Moreover, a 1111sstep at any point in the manipulation requires a return to the begnnnng and start ing afresh.

This is due to the fact that the present tumbler-system involves series of inter connected tumblers in which i the movement of the drive element or tumbler is communi cated directlyjto the first tumbler and by the i movement of the latter to thenext, and so onthrough the series,each tuinbler being the next inseries. 1 3 In ourinvention, adlfferent method or principle of action 1s introduced, namely i We employ unitary tumbler-disks in series,

oonstitutingthe system, which are entirely Brant-1AM independentofeach other, being rotatably seated on an extended hub of the (LlIIVG DIlHlimpr nter BENHAM Ann sheen ivr. seminar, on nonwoon, onro, assienons, BY

commutation-Loon.

. atented they a, mac.

1 w Application filed rein-nar e, 191v. Serial No. 147,437.

bler with which each is held in frictional engagement-the drlve-tumbler being removably affixed to the dial-arbor. The tumblers, being provided with radial pawls extending outwardly beyond their peripheries, are arrested by the laterally extended crosshead of the fence in the back and forth revolutions of the dial arbor and thus the radial relations of the tumblers are successively established. and. maintained, one by one, until the peripheral slots ofall are lined up with that of the drive-tumbler, and the cross headof the fence drops downinto said slots and holds the parts rigid while a slight back turn of the dial-arbor releases the bolt.

The so-called drive-tumbler, in this instance, is jremovably fixed to the dial-arbor and rotates with it and does not communioate initial motion to the adjacent tumbler to be transmitted throughthe series as is usual. It serves only tofpresen't asmooth peripheral riding surface for the fence,'-a

trifle higher than the toothed peripheries of dial numbered both ways (right and left) from a 'coinn'ioirpoint registering with the tumblerslots, the turns or complete revolutions of the ordinary combination locks are entirely eliminated and the entire process of working much simplified and shortened.

Moreover, a mistake at any step is corrected instantly by a simple turn to the last preceding number, and proceeding thence forwzird. asif no error had occurred.

The construction of the lock itself is also much sinipiified, cheapened, and the'process of resetting to new combinations facilitated.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in a preferred form of structure, in which onlyso much of the lock mechanism shown as 1s concerned wlth the fence, main bolt and tumbler mechadrivetumbler;

' v I p tumblerdetached, showing details of struc 7 ing from the rear'-the covering, plate be dial-arbor, fence, and locking bolt;

F1g'. 2, apersp'ectlve view of the operative head of the fence which extends over the tumblers; V o

F ig; 8, a side elevation-ofthe dial-arbor,

with the tumblers" thereon including the Fig. 4, a lower face view of the driveture; I p n Fig. 5, a face view of one of the tumblers detached, sh owmg the marking' in relatlon to. thelperil aheral teeth a'nd showing the pawls in-place (partly in dotted lines) :Fig; 6,'a face view of one of the fpawls,"

detached, coupled with a side or edge view; Flg. 7,,an axialcross section of the drivetumbler detached and I Fig. 8, a face view of one of the non-rotatv inl frictioniwashers. 1 eferring 'to the drawings herewith, A

' designatesthe lock casing and, B, the lock boltthe latter guided in 'theenchface of thefcasingthrough which'it operates and between slotted studs-b, Z).

corresponding (withv the unit fractions 7 of The fence C, is pivotally connected to the lock'boltB, as shown, and extends rearwardfits'head being laterally extended as gafcross bar c, restingfupon the drive tum- ;.bler,YDi'andeXtends a'crossthe peripheries of;the system' of tumblers, D, The drive 3 tumbler-is mounted "onthe arbor E, which is ournaled in a sijutable bearing extending throughthe'front wall of the casing and exteln lly carriejs the tli'ahc and'knob, 6?, as

'is-usualJ Thetumblersin theipresent illustration are ntegral disks' D (numbered here n to lIldlCfltG-thll series -1 6llt101l),. and have toothed peripheries, the number of teeth rotation marked upon'the dial,;each disk being marked withra dial markings on one face, corresponding with the ,dialmarkings.

Each of said --jtumbler-disks, ,D, and the.

drive-tumbler, D is peripherally slotted as manner. of such connections. r .7

shownat 8 (Figs. 4, 5,). The tumblers, D,

are carried loosely upon an extended hub, d, of the drlve-tumbler, D and secured thereon by a spring'ring, d resting in a shallow circumferential groove at the end 'of the hub; The drive-tumbler, D is 7 threa'dedto engage upon corresponding threads of the arbor, E, and is held -,a'gainst rotation'thereon'by a key or spline, p, en-w gaging in; longitudinal slots in the usual Employed with each of said tumblers are two duplicate radial pawls, f (Fig. 6)

formed. of sheet metal, perforated at the a larger end to ride upon the axial hub, cl, of

the drive-tumbler, Dfiside by side. at thev rear face'of each disk The pawls project mg removedshowing the relation of the beyond the periphery of the disk and the outer end of each is bent forward upon itself and recessed at the extreme point as shown at 7 (Figs. 5, 6) to engage upon any tooth of the disk. Between each set of pawlsg", and thecontiguous face of the next disk in series is a non-rotating friction washer, w, provided with opposite projections (Fig. 8) to engage in corresponding exterior grooves of the drive-tumbler hub, (Z. The entire series of tumblers is held in frictional contact by the detachable spring ring, (P, (Fig 3) and the friction washers, w, and, therefore, normally rot-ate 'with the arbor, E, and drive tumbler,

The dial and the tumbler disks are radian marked and numbered right and left from a point which,.in the tumblers, falls accomplished,without removal of a tumbler from its group or Series.

The combinations are to be in successively diminishing integers. v

Toset the tumblerssay to the combina- [hon-i0, 30, 20, 10thepin or key, 1), is

withdrawn and-the drive tumbler, D with its hu'b andthe tumbler series thereon, de-

tached from the arbor; E. The tips of the pawls, j, of the first tumbler D are pushed or sprung rearward to disengage the teeth of thetumbler-disk, and rotated to and reengaged with the teeth designated as 40, one at each side of the slot, 8. The pawls of the. second tumbler, D are in like manner engaged with the corresponding teeth, 30, at opposite sides of the same zero point; and in'like manner the duplicate pawls of the remaining tumblers are set to their respective numbers 20 and 10.

The re-setting being accomplished, the

drive tumbler and is tumbler system are replaced upon the arbor, E, preservmg the alinement of the slots 8 and secured in place.

The fence C is dropped into the trough formed 'bythe alined slots of the tumblers with the bolt still unlocked, a partial rotation of'the dial backward lifts the cross bar ofthe'fence out of the slot 3 in the periphery of the drive tumbler and of the tumbler series. When the arbor, E, is rotated, vcarrying with it the tumbler system,

the cross bar, 0, contacts with the pawl tips one by one and arrests the rotation of each tumbler in turn, 1n whichever dlrection it is rotating. Inasmuch as the numbers sebrought into alinement with each other and i a When slots of all the tumblers a teasers m lectedfor a given combination represent successive distances along the peripheries of the severaltumblers from a common zero or starting point, the tumblers set to the smaller numbers will first be arrested by the fence and displaced relatively backward or forward asthe case may be until the slots of the tumblers set to larger numbers are with the slot of the driving tumbler. This is true whatever be the order of the tumbler on the hub so that the number to which any tumbleris set bears no relation to its position on the hub.

The mode of operation is as follows: As

revolution. This linesup all the pawls on one side of the zero with the fence. This preliminary rotation may pass through zero and stop at the largest number of the combination or, the rotation may be reversed and arrested at the same numberon the opposite side of the zero. Either of these movements brings the slots of the tumbler set at the largest number in line with the slot of the drive tumbler. The dial is then rotated in the opposite direction to the sec .ond number of the comblnation wh ch ahnes the slot of the corresponding tumbler with the slot of the drive tumbler, and so with the slot of the tumbler already set. A. rotation of the dial in the first direction to the appropriate number brings thethird tumbler into line and successive alternate movements bring the tumblers oneby one 1nto position. As the numbers of the combination are successively smaller, the second pawls of the tumblers already set are not brought intocontact with the fence, so that the set ting of these tumblers is not disturbed. are in line, the fence drops into them and the bolt may be withdrawn as usual. When the dial is rotated so as to shoot the bolt the inclined face of the fence rides on the cornersand out oi the slots and then, striking the pawls disarranges the alinement of tumblers.

lnstead of peripheral teeth, a concentric series of apertures in the disk may be used with pro ectmg pins on the pawls to engagein same, but while we regard this plan as a mechanical equivalent, constructlon here shown considered superior.

we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Lettersl atent oi the. United Ettates: i

1. ln a tumbler lock, in co1'nb1nat1on wlth a dial and its arbor, a disk-tumbler notched around its periphery in correspondence with the unit markings ofthe dial; a radial pawl adapted to seat concentrically with and adacent to the tumbler and adjustably engage the same and extend outwardly beyond it; and a fence adapted to extend across the tumblerin the rotative pathof said pawlin rotative frictional engagement; radial pawls seated upon said hub,-two adjacent to each disk-tumbler in adjustable but normally fixed relations and extended beyond its periphery; and a fence extended laterally across all of said tumblers as an arresting element contacting with said pawls.

3. In a tumbler lock of thecharacter indicated, in combination with a series of unitary disk-tumblers eachprovided with a peripheral recess and adjustable radial pawls; a :fence having a cross-head extension adapted to ride upon the peripheries of the tumblers and arrest the rotation of the tumblers by contact with the pawl-terminals and to fall into the cross groove formedby alinement of the peripheral recesses.

l. In a tumbler lock of the character indicated, the combination of a disk-tumbler havinga notched periphery; a radial pawl tion a dial arbor; a plurality of disk-tumblers independently seated thereon in frictional rotative engagement and marked with units of rotation in both directions from a zero point to an approximate diameter; two radial pawls concentrically seated 011 the arbor adjacent to each disk-tumblerand adapted to engage adjustably therewith in normally fixed relations and project beyond the peripheries; and a fence arranged as an arresting abutment across and in contact with said disk-tumbler between and in the path of said projecting pawls.

6. In a permutation look, a tumbler sys tem embodying a dial arbor, a drive tumbler having an extended hub removably seated on said arbor in normally fixed relations; a plurality of independent unitary circular disk tumblers seated upon said hub in frlctional engagement therewith; radial pawls,-two ad acent to and ad ustably conztn entityofStruetufein relation to the dial arbor foi 'the convenient resetting of' comblnatlons.

e ;7. A combination loek embodying a dial arbor; drive tumblef relnovably mounted thereon a serles of -lndependent dlsk-tumblers -.'cer1 'ied upon the stump or hub of the drive tumbler;"radielpawlsedapted to 

